Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Ha Noi, Nov. 22 (VNA) -- The Ministry of Public Health has called on international donors to contribute 40 percent to its 2001-2005 child malnutrition programme worth VND 311.36 billion (USD 22.24 million).

The ministry elaborated that domestic sources could only meet nearly 60 percent of the programme's financial demands, therefore international donors were called upon to make up the remainder.

The ministry also announced that thanks to assistance from international organizations and foreign countries and the increasing economic growth rates in the country in recent years, child malnutrition rate was reduced to 33.1 percent this year from 39.8 percent in 1998.

The country plans to reduce the rate to 32 percent next year, 25-27 percent in 2005 and 20 percent in 2010.

To this end, the ministry together with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) held in Ha Noi on Nov. 21 a workshop to call on donors to give more assistance to the child malnutrition control programme.--